At present, when assembling interior components in an aircraft it is customary for the various components, such as for example dado panels, side trims, ceiling trims, rows of luminaires, luggage compartments and the like, to be connected individually to the aircraft structure. As each component has to be separately positioned and fastened to the aircraft structure, assembly of the interior components is often very time-consuming. Furthermore, changes of position of individual interior components or design changes to the interior components may be realized often only with difficulty because such changes as a rule entail an adaptation of an aircraft-structure-side holder and/or at least an adaptation of the fastening points provided on the aircraft structure for assembly of the interior components.
In a similar manner, pipes that are used for example as air-conducting lines of an aircraft air-conditioning system or for the water supply in an aircraft cabin as well as electric lines are currently also fastened individually in a time-consuming manner to the aircraft structure. After assembly, in the course of a final inspection the proper functioning of all of the lines has to be checked. In particular all of the pipes have to be checked for leaks, while in the case of the electric lines all of the interfaces have to be checked. In the case of the pipes and the electric lines too, changes of position or design changes may be realized only with difficulty as such changes likewise entail an adaptation of an aircraft-structure-side holder and/or at least an adaptation of the fastening points provided on the aircraft structure for assembly of the pipes and the electric lines. Changes of the fastening points for the pipes and/or the electric lines on the aircraft structure may moreover entail changes of the fastening points for the interior components on the aircraft structure and vice versa.
A self-supporting structure arrangement for the assembly of interior components in an aircraft is known from WO 2008/043557 A1, which was not published before the priority date of the present application.
The object underlying the invention is to provide an aircraft component assembly system for use in the assembly of an interior component, a pipe and/or an electric line in an aircraft as well as a method of assembling an interior component, a pipe and/or an electric line in an aircraft, which system and method enable easy and rapid assembly of the interior component, the pipe and/or the electric line in the aircraft as well as a simplified final inspection of these structural elements.